Soil conservation device



NOV. 7, 1939. w PEPPER 2,178,863

SOIL CONSERVATION DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1937 I Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 7 2,178,863 sorL. CONSERVATION DEVICE] Lawrence'W; Pepper, Ottumwa, Iowa, assignor to Central Culvert Company, Ottumwa, Iowa, a

corporation of Iowa Application December 3, 1937, .Serial No. 177,877

drawswhich, are likely to develop into deep cuts or ditches, wherein the soil washed into the draws or hollows from. the adjoining hillsides may be utilized to fill such ditches as have already been formed," and also 'to prevent any further. increase a in the depth or sizeof such ditches.

Morelspecifically, it is the object of my invention to provide a sheet metal form of substantially Z-shaped' cross section wherein a central body portion. is formed .having laterally extended flanges extending in opposite directions, one of which may be driven-into the ground to .serve as a support and-the other .to serve as a dam, with the body portion acting asa spillway forthe dam portion.

A- further object'i s' to. provide in connection with a device of the "type above described, improved means for reinforcing one of the flange members to the body member, said reinforcing means being also provided to assistin holding the soil adjacent the ends of the dam in position.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts ofthe device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: 1

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the manner in which my improved construction is applied to the banks of a roadway and to a gutter which has been formed between the bank and the adjacent inclined portion of the roadway.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatical end View showing the manner in which the central and end sections are assembled.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view of my improved construction showing the manner in which it is applied to the ground surface.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical sectional view illustrating the manner in which a number of my improved devices may be employed to build a dam across a comparatively deep ditch.

I have used the reference numeral III to indicate the central section of my improved construction and I! the end sections. Each of these sections is preferably formed of corrugated galvanized sheet metal, the sheet metal plates being first corrugated and cut to the desired dimensions, the length of which is usually considerably greater than the width. The plates are then 5 formed and bent to form a central body portion. l2 and flange portions [3 and M, the members I2 and i3 being preferably about eight inches wide, while the member M of the central section it! is about ten inches. The flange I3 is formed with curved or arcuate portions E5 to connect theadjoining edges of said members to prevent breaking of the galvanized surface and also to strengthen the members against bending of the member l3 relative to the member l2. As will readily be seen in Figure 3, one of the members isbent oppositely from the other, and both sub stantially at right angles to the body. Theadjoining portion of themembers l2 and id are formed with a comparatively short kink it so that a comparatively square corner ll may be provided so that the adjacent edge of the top member I2 is comparatively straight, the corrugations being arranged to be supported trans-g versely of the sheet or in a vertical position when 5 the device is applied.

In the actual application of this device the central section IE is placed transversely of a ditch or gully It, with the member it supported vertically and the member I 2 substantially horizon- 0 tal. The upper edge of the member Mis then struck with a mall or other suitable driving de-. vice, causing said member to be, driven, intothe ground until the opposite edge of the, body l2 engages the ground surface. w This section; then provides a dam across said ditch withthe member M serving as an anchor and themember H? as, a dam,;while the member i2 servesasgaspillway for the dam to prevent washing of the part around the apron or member M. One of the side sections H is then applied to the bank l9 with its lower end resting on and overlapping the adjacent end of the member H]. In a like manner the side of the road bed 20 is provided with another member II with its lower end overlapping the adjacent end of the member Hi. The members ll serve to prevent dirt from being washed away around the ends of the member lfl at such times when a considerable amount of water is being carried over the dam. It will readily beseen that any number of the side members H may be applied as desired to meet the Working condition.

To stiffen the outer ends of the members E3 of the sections'l l I have provided triangular shaped plates 2i, each having an ear 22 for receiving bolts 23, said bolts passing through the members I2 and I3 in the manner illustrated in Figure 3. These members 2| not only serve to stiffen the members l3 but also serve to prevent dirt from being washed downwardly and longitudinally of the members I2 of the sections H, and thus further assist in keeping the banks from washing.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated the manner in which a series of the devices may be used in order to gradually build up a dam as the ditch or slough is filled up. This may be accomplished by placing in the bottom of the ditch one of the members Ill in the manner before described, and after the ditch has been filled to the top edge of the member I3, a second dam may then be placed above the first until a new dirt level has been formed, afterwhich the third dam may be placed in position, as clearly illustrated in said figure, thus providing a very cheap and efficient means for gradually building a dam for deep ditches and filling the ditch above the dam.

With each of the sections l0 and l l I have proa vided a series of openings 24 in the members M,

and also openings 25 in the members l3. These openings provide means wherein hooks or other suitable tools may be placed to which may be attached chains operated by suitable leverage devices whereby the section may be removed from the ground surface if so desired, this being particularly desirable when the sections are used on farm lands where it is desired to move the dam for plowing or cultivation, after which the dam may again be placed in position to prevent erosion of the soil.

Thus it will be seen I have provided a simple, durable and very inexpensive means for the controlling of soil erosion, especially in ditches and gullys.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a body portion formed of corrugated sheet metal having one edge bent at right angles to said body and its opposite edge bent at right angles in the opposite direction to that of the first bent portion, whereby the device may be placed transversely of a ditch with one of the flange portions driven into the ground to serve as an anchor, with the other flange portions serving as a dam and the body portion as a spillway therefor.

2. In a device for preventing the erosion of soil, a substantially rectangular body portion having one of its side edges bent laterally to the body to form a flange and its opposite edge bent laterally to the body in the opposite direction to form a second flange, one of said flanges being adapted to be driven in the earth to form an anchor and the other as a dam and the body portion as a spillway, one of said flanges being provided with openings for receiving pulling tools, a reinforcing plate supported between one of the flanges and the adjoining body portion, and means for detachably securing said plate thereto, said plate being in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes of said body and said flange.

3. In a device for preventing the erosion of soil, a substantially rectangular body portion having one of its side edges bent laterally to the body to form a flange and its opposite edge bent laterally to the body in the opposite direction to form a second flange, one of said flanges being adapted to be driven in the earth to form an anchor and the other as a dam and the body portion as a spillway, one of said flanges being provided with openings for receiving pulling tools, a reinforcing means supported between one of the flanges and the adjoining body portion, and means for detachably securing said reinforcing means thereto.

4. Means for preventing the erosion of soil, comprising a number of sections, each of. said sections being formed of sheet metal having one edge bent laterally to its body portion to form a flange and its opposite edge bent laterally to said body portion in the opposite direction to form a second flange whereby said section may be placed transversely of a ditch with one of the flanges driven into the earth and the other serving as a dam, one or more similar sections supported adjacent to above and back of the first section to increase the height of the dam as the ditch is filled.

5. Means for preventing erosion of soil,-comprising a number of sections, each of such sections comprising a sheet metal body having one of its edges bent laterally to the body to form a flange and its opposite edge bent laterally to the body in the opposite direction to form a second flange, the first flange being adapted to be driven into the earth to form an anchor and the second to be used as a dam and the body portion as a spillway, the first said anchoring flange of one of said sections being driven into and across the bottom of a ditch wherein the second flange will serve as a dam to catch silt and earth to fill the ditch level with the top of the second flange, the first flange of the second section being driven into the filled earth back of the second flange of the first section whereby the second flange of the second section will also serve as a dam to catch and hold silt to further increase the height of the fill within said ditch and whereby water flowing over the top section will fall successively from one spillway to another spillway, for the purpose stated.

' LAWRENCE W. PEPPER. 

